What do you pray for?

Dan, a friend and ministry partner, gave a devo today that inspired me. He read from 2 Thess. 3:1.

"Finally, brothers,pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith." 

This verse was so powerful to me because it's not normally what I pray for. I pray along the lines of sentimentality, not spiritual reality. I pray for my comfort, my ease, my life, not for the Word of the Lord to speed ahead. I pray for God intervene in people's lives, not for my own deliverance from those who would oppose God and His purposes. I wonder if my prayers are often cold and weak because I am too preoccupied with how to get God to do my bidding rather than a passion that God's mission would go forward and that those who would stand in the way of that would be thwarted? Why do I only pray that for those involved with missions? 


Here's today's prayer points: (by the way, thanks to Gordon for so succinctly and diligently summing up the world's missionary affairs into 4 or 5 points!)

• Praise God for the growing Christian church in many parts of Asia. Pray that the church will be strong and unified. Pray that the name of Jesus will be known, glorified and worshipped among all peoples in Asia especially in heavily Islamic and/or Buddhist countries.
• Pray for native believers who risk their lives, property, and social standing in order to follow Christ. Pray for their endurance and protection.
• Pray that the light of Jesus in the Gospel would open the eyes of those darkened by the hold of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
• Pray that God will use schools and churches in nations like South Korea, Philippines, Japan, and Thailand to train, equip and send missionaries and tentmakers to serve in other nations. 
• Pray for boldness and creativity as Christian workers go into closed countries (particularly in Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of China).
• Pray for the physical safety and health of Christian workers that serve in very isolated and dangerous locations under harsh conditions. Pray also for their spiritual protection as many of them live and work in very oppressive and restrictive locations.